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Aloha Concerts--Questions??

Tue Jul 11, 2006 5:57 pm

I was watching the Special Edition of the Aloha dvd last night, and I again was struck by Elvis' "style" during these shows.

It seems as if he has a sort of dreamy, sleepy, and inward look. I am sure that I am not articulating this clearly, but as Dave March says in the liner notes, he seems to be singing "to himself" and then suddenly remembers he is there with an audience. This demeanor or odd psychological disposition has always left me waiting for him to step out and explode.

I am still quite new to Elvis. Maybe others do not see this; maybe he took on differing stage presences during different parts of his concert career.

Could anyone give me some direction here?

Thanks for any input!

Tue Jul 11, 2006 6:03 pm

My own personal opinion on this is that Elvis was extremely nervous and therefore wasn't like his normal stage persona, he always suffered from stage fright but I suppose it makes it even worse when you're performing to a billion people!!
others will disagree but that is my little ol' thought on the matter!

ALOHA SHOWS -

Tue Jul 11, 2006 6:04 pm

having seen the dvds myself the only assumption i can come up with is -

Elvis was touring around - Vegas , and other states during this period in time - He had just finished playing Vegas a few weeks prior to the shows, - and yes he does look dreamy and such .- He knew very well that he had to do a gt- show for the fans - especially for fans across the globe - the actual show started at 12. 30 am - ( a funny time to start the show ) and the rehearsals were recorded at 08.30 pm - on the 12th jan .- 73. .
he was just geared up and raring to do gt.- show . - this is one of my fav.- times of Elvis . -
He was singingand putting on a show for all of us fans .-
Just Enjoy the dvds my fellow fan and friend and you will def.- seeethe different side of Elvis -

Just check out the gt.- songs especially AMERICAN TRILOGY - WHEN HE PUTS HIS HERAT AND SOUL INTO THE SONG .-
ENJOY THE DVDS U HAVE JUST WATCGHED AND KEEP ON WATCHING THEM - ALL DE TIME -

Tue Jul 11, 2006 6:05 pm

Unfortunately for me Aloha From Hawaii has always been a letdown both visually and on record. It has it's moment don't get me wrong, American Trilogy is stunning but generally the pace of the show is quite slow, there isn't a great deal of energy and Elvis does indeed seem to be withdrawn a little. It could be because he's concentrating a little too hard on his performance to just let flow. It's a stark contrast to the high energy gigs filmed for Elvis On Tour 8 months earlier.

It's not terrible, not even bad..just not great. I think it takes on a higher status than it deserves due to the historical aspect and due to the fact it's currently the only complete filmed concert available on the market.

The rehearsal show is more enjoyable to me but still not as good as shows from 1972.

Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:34 pm

Let's not forget that Aloha was a TV special, with a script, and precise timings. What we see is Elvis - the consumate professional in Aloha. The singing is excellent, but his movements are restricted, as he couldn't risk being out of breath at the end of the show.

It's not my favourite Elvis show, and I'd rather be watching a complete, unedited 1972 show from On Tour, but it is an excellent TV special, with some great performances, with Elvis looking great, but with little movement, or joking around.

Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:36 pm

Well, like he said in the press conference for the show, it was hard to comprehend something that size. And I think you could see it in his face during the show. I think it's still a pretty amazing looking show and revolutionary for its time. Moreover, it is a display of how one man make a billion people freeze for an hour and just watch and listen. No pyrotechnics, no spectacle, no dancers, no video screens, no pitch correction - really makes some of the crap that's out there today look like a circus. Too bad he got blown back out of his mind the next day with pills after being clean and healthy for several months.

Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:51 pm

Yes, cameras and being time can do a lot to freak ya out...

Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:58 pm

Remember also that during this show they had the auditorium lit for most of it. Usually Elvis would say that the could only see the first few rows but he would turn the house lights up for "Funny how time slips away", but during this show the house lights were up for most of it.
That must have been a little un-nerving for him.

Tue Jul 11, 2006 8:07 pm

The Aloha show was perfect. And that was the problem.

Because if something in showbusiness is perfect it looses appeal. Entertainers are adored for their personality, not only for their singing. Elvis was so nervous and concentrated that he didn't give the audience enough of himself.

It is a pity that pressure would make Elvis loose his "human" side on stage.

He seemed to have problems with his eyes, too. The other question is if he was really "clean" for the Aloha special, altough this is confirmed by his tour members.

Tue Jul 11, 2006 8:16 pm

Going by the press conference[He was absolutely wasted] I seriously doubt he had been straight for months.

Even with the obvious nerves showing I still enjoy both Aloha shows, I watch it through my projector on a fair sized screen, its like being there especially with the surround sound jacked up. Last time I watched the rehearsal I noticed a white mark on his neck..anyone know what this was? It wasnt until Id seen this on a big screen it became so apparent.

Last edited by Eddie on Tue Jul 11, 2006 9:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Tue Jul 11, 2006 8:16 pm

Thomas wrote:The Aloha show was perfect.

Perfect? You must be talking about another "Aloha" show -- the one on January 14, 1973 has any number of drawbacks.

Thomas wrote:The other question is if he was really "clean" for the Aloha special ...

It's not a question -- it's an established fact he was as healthy as he'd be all year for that broadcast.

Tue Jul 11, 2006 8:20 pm

drjohncarpenter wrote:it's an established fact he was as healthy as he'd be all year for that broadcast.

I'm not so sure of that, watching "The Alternate Aloha".

Tue Jul 11, 2006 9:32 pm

Thomas wrote:The Aloha show was perfect. And that was the problem.

Because if something in showbusiness is perfect it looses appeal. Entertainers are adored for their personality, not only for their singing. Elvis was so nervous and concentrated that he didn't give the audience enough of himself.

It is a pity that pressure would make Elvis loose his "human" side on stage.

He seemed to have problems with his eyes, too. The other question is if he was really "clean" for the Aloha special, altough this is confirmed by his tour members.

Elvis was not clean for this special that is if you talking about "Was he high on drugs or not?"
But the members of the Memphis Mafia Elvis was high during this show on those drugs that he was taking. Even if he was high on those drugs he still gave a great show. He does seems like he is in a dream state. Maybe this was becasue Via Satellte was just a new thing at this time and he was the first to do a concert that was beam around the world. As davidtcb1, Elvis said during the press conference "it was hard to comprehend something that size". But davidtcb1 thinks he was clean for several months but he wasn't. Watch the other press conference and you can tell that he was high on those drugs he was taking. Members of the Memphis Mafia said during the Vegas concert of late 72 that he was clean but got back on them when it was getting closer for the Aloha concerts.

Tue Jul 11, 2006 9:36 pm

drjohncarpenter wrote:

Thomas wrote:The other question is if he was really "clean" for the Aloha special ...

It's not a question -- it's an established fact he was as healthy as he'd be all year for that broadcast.

The Doc makes a good (though I suspect, subtle) point - these things are relative, especially when compared to other events in that year.

Geoff

Tue Jul 11, 2006 10:21 pm

Yes, I stand corrected about him not being "fully" clean, but he was in much better shape than the press conference. He was on some other planet during that. May not have been fully sober at any time during the 70s....maybe 1970 but I doubt it since there are stories of pills back as far as 1958.

Interesting....

Tue Jul 11, 2006 10:25 pm

And then it doesn't really matter if he was high on whatever legal or illeagl drug, after all the Special was a huge success and something that will always be remembered.

Tue Jul 11, 2006 10:26 pm

You are correct Thomas...even on the worst days he was great and this one is certainly near the top of the list of good days.

Tue Jul 11, 2006 10:48 pm

I remember seeing concert photos of Elvis around 2 months prior to the Aloha show and was amazed at how big he was compared to the Aloha show. It seems like he lost a lot of weight very quickly for Aloha and I wonder if this affected his energy level/performance.

Tue Jul 11, 2006 11:05 pm

I don't know what some of you guys saw.

It was the quintessential Elvis, a pro, a master at his art, who had complete command of the live audience and the performance also transfered magnetism and charisma to the taped version that was seen later and is still the same today.

I know all Elvis fans have their favorite Elvis era or their favorite Elvis performance. So, in my own humble opinion this was Elvis' best show, a little of everything for everybody, the material that was selected, his appearance, vocals and the band were all spectacular.

He nailed it, and in thousands of years that will be what they find when they run across Elvis.

Tue Jul 11, 2006 11:28 pm

drjohncarpenter wrote:

Thomas wrote:The Aloha show was perfect.

Perfect? You must be talking about another "Aloha" show -- the one on January 14, 1973 has any number of drawbacks.

Well, it's not the 'perfect' Elvis show.

But perhaps Thomas means it was 'perfect' in that Elvis doesn't fluff any lines, get the giggles, forget lyrics, play around, or generally mess up !

He was aware that it was going out live, and being recorded for an album, so he had to stick pretty closely to a pre-arranged 'script'.

This made for a technically superior performance, but not a particularly exciting one.

Tue Jul 11, 2006 11:41 pm

Yes - exactly.

Tue Jul 11, 2006 11:47 pm

InMemphis wrote:I don't know what some of you guys saw.

It was the quintessential Elvis, a pro, a master at his art, who had complete command of the live audience and the performance also transfered magnetism and charisma to the taped version that was seen later and is still the same today.

I know all Elvis fans have their favorite Elvis era or their favorite Elvis performance. So, in my own humble opinion this was Elvis' best show, a little of everything for everybody, the material that was selected, his appearance, vocals and the band were all spectacular.

He nailed it, and in thousands of years that will be what they find when they run across Elvis.

In so much as he became the Elvis that all ETA's aspire to be, you are correct.

Geoff

Wed Jul 12, 2006 12:22 am

ColinB wrote:But perhaps Thomas means it was 'perfect' in that Elvis doesn't fluff any lines, get the giggles, forget lyrics, play around, or generally mess up !

Again, it must be another show that Thomas is referring to, as Elvis on January 14, 1973 in Hawaii is not nearly "perfect."

It's a high-water mark for the pagentry of the later Elvis, but performance-wise it is something else altogether.

For example, he jumps the introduction to "It's Over" (Guercio and band cover nicely), and screws with the lyrics during a less-than-inspiring "Suspicious Minds."

Hope y'all enjoyed this reality check.

Wed Jul 12, 2006 12:28 am

elvislennon wrote:

Thomas wrote:The Aloha show was perfect. And that was the problem.

Because if something in showbusiness is perfect it looses appeal. Entertainers are adored for their personality, not only for their singing. Elvis was so nervous and concentrated that he didn't give the audience enough of himself.

It is a pity that pressure would make Elvis loose his "human" side on stage.

He seemed to have problems with his eyes, too. The other question is if he was really "clean" for the Aloha special, altough this is confirmed by his tour members.

Elvis was not clean for this special that is if you talking about "Was he high on drugs or not?"But the members of the Memphis Mafia Elvis was high during this show on those drugs that he was taking. Even if he was high on those drugs he still gave a great show. He does seems like he is in a dream state. Maybe this was becasue Via Satellte was just a new thing at this time and he was the first to do a concert that was beam around the world. As davidtcb1, Elvis said during the press conference "it was hard to comprehend something that size". But davidtcb1 thinks he was clean for several months but he wasn't. Watch the other press conference and you can tell that he was high on those drugs he was taking. Members of the Memphis Mafia said during the Vegas concert of late 72 that he was clean but got back on them when it was getting closer for the Aloha concerts.

For a few weeks leading into the show, EP was clean. There's no way he was high during that show, the guy put on a singing clinic for God's sakes. A billion people just watched the world cup final, while over a billion people watched basically one man only. It was not a normal concert setting or atmosphere, the more normal part was the rehearsal show. Aloha was and still is TV history.